Saint Edward the Confessor Anglican Church has a long and interesting history beginning with bishop Dart of New Westminster who founded the Mission of Saint Edward the Confessor in Fairview in 1897.
The Anglican Church is well established in the community, though due to COVID-19, the church is currently closed for regular services. There is no indication when it will reopen.
The bell tower is the prominent feature of this church, and was the first thing I noticed. It towers high above the roof line and
is most impressive. I found the United Church that has a similar bell tower also in the Norman style.
Following are some excerpts about the Saint Edward the Confessor Anglican Church history:
"The legendary Father Pat (Henry Irwin) in his wanderings throughout the mining areas of Kootenay at the end of the last century, is known to have held services in Fairview in any room available on a Sunday morning.
The Township of Oliver was established in 1921. In 1925, the first service was held in Oliver by Canon Thompson. In those early years of the opening up of the valley to accommodate returning veterans from the First World War, an extensive irrigation project was set up in the valley bottom. Orchards were developed and a slowly growing number of Anglicans moved into the district.
In June 1951, the church is constructed of cement pumice blocks with a seating capacity of 250, a chancel choir, two vestries, and a lovely Lady Chapel for smaller services. It was completed in Norman style with a square bell tower at the west entrance.
The church was to originally been built beside the church hall, but because of the height of the bell tower, it had to be relocated across the street to avoid being in the flight path of the Oliver airport.
A peal of eight bells was installed in the tower in 1952, a the gift of an anonymous donor as a memorial to the early settlers on orchard land in the Okanagan. The bells were cast by Whitechapel Bell Foundry in England with the largest bell weighing 700 pounds. One person, on large wooden piano-like keys operated from the balcony which can ring them. One of a few such peals in western Canada. The inscription on the brass plaque installed in the stairway concludes; May the bells installed in this tower, as they peal forth, bring cheer throughout the years. The bells were dedicated October 13th 1952, by the Right Rev. A.H. It was necessary to heighten the tower for the bells, as the weight was too much for the lower height of the tower.
The church was renovated in 2003, with extensive use of wood from the choir pews.
You can read the entire history of the Saint Edward the Confessor Anglican Church with the source link provided.
Source: Saint Edward the Confessor